Ashes 2025-26.

[sussexpob]

Jacks I'm afraid out of his depth , having to bowl long spells instead of just a few fill ins. Though with Bashir unselectable at present and frankly not a a mob of spinners beating the door down I am afraid that wasn't altogether unexpected

Its an entirely mute point for me, because England have not picked the best spinner available to them. I don't think I even need to really argue that point at all, Leach is just better than Bashir and Jacks on every available metric, and on merit walks into this team at the minute. He is not world class, but in a game you need someone to bowl 40 overs of spin in, he is a better option every time. If you decide to apply lousy logic and not pick him, its your bad. You don't get to complain you are starving because you don't have steak, but have plenty of potatoes lying around.

It was entirely predictable how this would have ended.... In fact, its literally what I predicted it 2 weeks ago. I don't want a gold star for doing that because anyone with any brain would have realised this is how it was going to go. The concern moving forward is, well how does an international coach/selector/Director and captain not see that? At what stage do they all sit down and convince themselves that a part-time spinner was a good idea for a test match hosted in 41 degree weather and a very flaky bowling line up. He was always going to have to bowl a lot of overs here, history tells you that, the weather told us that, common sense told us that...

If this does not occur to the administrators of the English game, then they are unfit for purpose. Everyone involved in this selection should be fired immediately after this test match.

[andy]

Michael Vaughan is right when he says whole sale changes aren't needed which is true...there are a few players yes who needs to go but there are also others who will be battle hardened and come back stronger.....

Crawley - Needs to go, he just isn't good enough often enough for an international opening batsman

Duckett - Stay

Pope - Go, maybe come again as a number 6, or wicket keeper but his days as a number 3 are long gone

Root - stay

Brook - stay but isn't ready to be test captain

Stokes - Stay, no one else to captain

Smith - jury's out....clearly talented but looks mentally *modded*

Archer - stay

Carse - go....takes wickets but is too inconsistent and his economy is shocking

Tongue - stay raw but will come good in time

Jacks - isn't a frontline spinner but can play an all rounder role...needs more red ball cricket though

Atkinson - stay

Bethell - throw him in can't do any worse than pope

Bashir - play him or release him....

Rehan - surely it's time?

[sussexpob]

As for the match, well England' cursed themselves at the end of the day. They had Australia 90-4 in the first innings, and then their chosen spinner gave away 1/100. Australia went from huge problems to scramble to 370. This morning, they had Australia what, 120-2 odd when the lead was factored in, and then guess what.... the spinner comes on and throws away the opportunity bowling pies. Of course, its not all Jacks. If only someone in the top 5 had gone on to make a score, we'd probably be in the game.

England just can't back up anything they do with continued sessions. At this point in the series, Stokes is dialled in, Archer is dialled in..... the rest all look like they can't wait to get on the plane home.

[sussexpob]

Who sits when Smith returns?

Inglis, with Carey going back to batting at 7. Weatherald would be next at risk, but surely he deserves at least the one more test. I think he is right for the series

I would have to assume that George Bailey will, if not already, have a quiet word with Usman and say to him that he can either announce his retirement at Sydney or he doesn't get his send off. I think a player of Khawaja's history deserves a send off at home if its a dead rubber anyway, but surely you don't drop Weatherald yet with Usman not going to be around. Weatherald looks a rough diamond who might come good with time, so you have to give him a decent change.

Inglis on the other hand can't defend his stumps. It says a lot for England's preparations that in all the innings so far, he's got starts and then got out bowled as soon as England bowl at his defences. I said in the last test just bowl it straight at the timbers, pretty much the first ball boom gone.... I don't think he has a future in test cricket unless he can rapidly get better.

[Durhamfootman]

I can't wait for them to get on the plane home

[sussexpob]

I can't wait for them to get on the plane home

I seen Eoin Morgan say on the internet last night that watching this Ashes series was a bit like watching the film Titanic, and rooting for the boat.

Made me chuckle

[Arthur Crabtree]

I can understand why England were tempted to play a spinner/allrounder. When they won in 10-11, even Swann, their best spinner in 50 years operating at his peak, went for runs and mostly just chipped in with wickets. England thought they could do it with pace alone. Plus they have a good pace bowling allrounder to share the load.

Though a difference is that this attack doesn't have Tremlett and Anderson in it. So it is more probably pressure will fall back on the part time spinner.

I believe you pick your best spinner. If they thought that was Bashir, he should have played. But pick a backup option too. I think most of us thought this squad was flawed, as many have been recently. They pick 16 players, but lack options. Just lots of pace reserves.

[sussexpob]

I can understand why England were tempted to play a spinner/allrounder. When they won in 10-11, even Swann, their best spinner in 50 years operating at his peak, went for runs and mostly just chipped in with wickets. England thought they could do it with pace alone. Plus they have a good pace bowling allrounder to share the load

Another way of looking at it is, even in a series where England had 2-3 seamers have very successful tours, the bowler out of either side that sent down the most overs was Swann. Sometimes a spinners role is not the sum of their direct contributions in wickets, in games like this one taking place now its allowing to have seamers rotate at one end in 41 degree heat while you keep a lid on it. In 2010/11, England could do that knowing Swann would tie an end, and that you could have 3 seamers blasting at full tilt at the other. If your spinner is not a threat nor adding control or pressure at one end, then you don't have that...

The seamers wouldnt have performed as well if Swann wasn't taking up so much time with the ball without letting Australia get away.

[Arthur Crabtree]

His econ is actually better than I thought it would be. He took hits at times, but went under 3/over in the series, mostly bowling overs 60-80. Average of 40 was a touch disappointing given how good he was, but would look fair in this series.

[meninblue]

Have seen Will Jacks bowl before. Making him bowl 20 overs in an innings is like not expecting a wicket in innings more often than not. It is akin to allowing the opponent team to build up a partnership without much challenge from one end. No flight, no spin, no variety is understandable as he is a part timer. It is the blunder by think-tank to expect him to pick wickets like a specialist spinner. Moreover, they have asked him to bowl and pick wickets on Australian wickets.

England are also doing the mistake India made in the series in Australia. Extending batting with all-rounders like Nitish Reddy and Washington Sundar because the specialist batsmen cannot be relied to score enough runs for a test innings. The results are also likely to be very similar. At the most one test win for England like India managed.

[backfootpunch]

Im not sure jacks is any better than root or bethell with the ball

It was crazy to even have him in the squad let alone actually play him

[GarlicJam]

Im not sure jacks is any better than root or bethell with the ball

It was crazy to even have him in the squad let alone actually play him

just on the strength of yesterday, Jacks was easier for the Aus batters to handle and score from. He certainly did not pose a threat, and got his one wicket to a terrible shot off a terrible delivery.

[Arthur Crabtree]

England will be glad to see the back of Head. Valuable innings from him. Closed off England's slender hopes.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Now Carey goes. OK first hour for England. Not that they are losing any less, but maybe with less misery.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Another for Tongue. His recall paying off.